I drink to make other people more interesting: it doesn't work
by WonderWitch123
Summary: When Rose is offered a chance to be free from James's pranks if she helps Albus, she cannot help it but accept. After all, who can turn down a no prank family fathering?


**A/N: Hello, and welcome to my fic! Although this was for a competition, I hope you enjoy it as a good read anyway, and favourite and review! (They mean a lot)**

 **My prompts for this round are the word Launch, the word hairbrush and the quote 'I drink to make other people more interesting'.**

 **Without further ado, please enjoy!**

" _Whomping Willow."_

Uttering these words, the portrait swung open and Rose stepped inside, leaving behind the tipsy Fat Lady who was merry on wine. Careful not to slip on the Gold and Red Gryffindor scarf, she immediately had to cover her ears to even hear her own thoughts – if she had thought it through it would have been obvious that an after party would be occurring tonight. After all, Gryffindor had just defeated Slytherin to win the house cup.

Treading lightly as to avoid the miscellaneous objects scattered on the floor as a result of students who had had too much Firewhiskey, she lightly tiptoed up the staircase. Pushing open the door, she opened up her trunk and pulled out an outfit: now that she knew that there was a party on there was no doubt that attendance would be required.

Grabbing a pair of black jeans, an off the shoulder dressy top and some black boots, she dressed quickly and applied a small amount of makeup to enhance the colour choice that she had chosen after running a quick hairbrush through her hair. She knew that someone would have noticed her entering the room, alerted a family member who would now be waiting for her. Sighing at her close knit family's ordeals, she pushed her trunk shut and walked calmly down the stairs.

Blaring music greeted her once again, and as she made her way over to the fire the sight of what must be a thousand couples shoving tongues down each other's throat filled her vision. She suddenly didn't feel thirsty anymore, and decided to get away from the corner that had been claimed for the make out sessions present.

James entered her vision, staggering slightly as a just as drunk as him girl placed her hand on his shoulder, dragged him down a few inch's, whispered something in his ear before nibbling at it slowly. Rose' began to feel bile forming at seeing someone do that to her cousin, but before she could make a stealthy exit from the awkward situation, James waved his large hand extremely close to her.

"Rosie! My budding flower Rose. The light in family gath-"

"What do you want James?" As soon as he had uttered the first word in that tone of voice, it became apparent that he wanted her for something.

"Well, since you're the greatest person that I have ever have had the fortune to meet, I need you to do something for me. See, I kind of owe my idiot brother Albus a favour, because he helped me with a girl, but I'm not really thinking clear at the moment," Under her breathe Rose snorted to the understatement of the century "So I was wondering if you would help me out this one? You'll be exempt from the pranks at the next family gathering."

With an offer like that, she knew she just couldn't refuse the deal. Sporting a Cheshire cat grin, she made her way over to where Albus stood with an annoyed look upon his face. Following his gaze she saw his best friend Scorpius Malfoy sitting on the settee with a sorrowful look replacing what she though was a permanent smirk.

2I am here in replacement of James, tell me the situation and what needs to be done."

Albus nodded his head before launching into what he needed her to do: "I need your help. I caught dear Malfoy around the castle drinking Firewhiskey to his heart's content. Obviously, being the seeker on the Slytherin team he was upset with himself, and so was avoiding everyone he knew down to them being angry and disappointed with him. I brought h back here thinking that a friendly face and better attitude might make him feel better (he's so far drunk that I don't think he knows where he is). But he's been making weird noises, and repeating different versions of the word disappointment. I was hoping to hook in a couple of girls here, but with this idiot being al strange I have nope hope in hell at the moment. So I was kind of hoping that you could take him somewhere in the castle, you can take the cloak, and sort him out. I also have this book with a sobering spell so that you can use it if you want. So, what do you say?"

Rose agreed after daydreaming for a moment how great it would be to not be wary of pranking at the next gathering. Also, she hadn't really wanted to stay around the loud music and this gave her a chance to escape from the booming music.

"Yes ok I'll do it."

"Great! Here's the cloak and the book, just sit him down in a broom cupboard or something and sort him out. I'm sure you'll figure out some semblance of a plan."

Content with the situation, he took his best friend by the arm and pulled him up. He then placed the invisibility cloak over her and him, and walked away eyeing up some girl in the opposite corner of the common room.

"Right, let's get moving." The slurring noise the came out of Scorpius immediately made Rose take out her wand and perform a silencing spell on him so that wandering around the corridors they would come to no trouble from Filtch.

Rose finally found the perfect spot and sat down, dragging Scorpius down with her. She made sure that the invisibility cloak covered them both; removing the spell she opened the book that Albus had given her and performed the spell to make him feel more sober. The effects were instantaneous: He straightened his back, his arms dropped to his side and the crazed look in his eyes were reduced.

"Hey," she whispered softly "I know it might be a bit soon but do you want to tell me why the hell you decided to get drunk off your feet tonight?"

The only reply heard from him was a sigh, and he then began to launch into his story.

"You don't understand Rose. You don't get it. The perfect lifestyle that you and your family have, those expectations that are there but you don't have to reach them because it's you, the one everyone loves. But with me, it's different. Everyone treats me different. I have to reach expectations, I have to change the Malfoy name, and I have to have a positive imprint on the world so that people remember me in a great way, not just as another one of the pure blood lines.

"Each thing that I loose, I grab a bottle of firewhiskey and hope that I can forget the horrible names that they call me, the terrible things that I get shouted at.

"I lost the match today, and I knew what was coming. So before anyone could see me I grabbed my bottle and began to drink. When I go to other people's celebration parties, I find them so dull so I drink to make other people more interesting: it doesn't work. I could tell I was annoying Albus, and then you came over. And that's where we are right now."

"Oh Scorpius." I sighed. "You shouldn't care about what others say. I mean, I think you're incredible. You're so smart, attentive, you always try your best and always give me your full attention. When other people talk to me they see me as publicity, not a person. But not you. You shouldn't care about what others say, because they don't matter. See your life a chance to prove everyone wrong, and go about it your own way. I believe in you."

She had made this speech the entire time gazing into his grey stormy eyes; he moved closer to her, eyes landing on the rosy red full lips that he now had a hard time tearing his eyes away from. Instinctively, he moved closer, as did she, until their lips met in the middle.

They stayed like that for a while, neither moving from the position they were in until they noticed light seeping in through a chink in the curtain.

"How long have we been here for?" She whispered, conscious of the fact that her voice was partly echoing.

"Not long enough." He replied, and gathered her close to him once more.


End file.
